How long does it take a chicken to grow and hatch eggs?

This question is a bit tricky because it combines two different stages of a chicken's life:

1. Growing a chick:

* Incubation: A fertilized egg takes approximately 21 days to hatch into a chick.

* Chick to maturity: A chick takes about 6 to 8 weeks to grow into a pullet (young female chicken) that can lay eggs.

* Laying age: Pullets reach laying age around 18 to 20 weeks old.

2. Laying eggs:

* Laying cycle: Once a chicken reaches laying age, she will typically lay an egg every 24-26 hours.

So, to summarize:

* From fertilized egg to chick: 21 days

* From chick to laying age: 18-20 weeks (roughly 4-5 months)

* Time between laying eggs: 24-26 hours

Let me know if you have any other questions!